Amira asked a few questions before calling Jameson directly. Jameson usually got home late, but today, he was home early, and his face was anything but pleasant.
Ruth noticed his blue mood and asked, "Anything wrong with business today?"
Just the mention of it got Jameson fuming. He slammed the newspaper down and snapped, "Shermaine ran wild at Basterel University yesterday? How the hell did you not keep an eye on her? We were about to sign a 30 million deal today, but the client canceled it because they know she’s my daughter."
Shermaine’s reputation had been in the gutter since she came back, but after being mentioned in Basterel University’s forum, her name spread like wildfire. Gossip media even reported that, and it was clear her reputation in Basterel was completely ruined. Jameson felt angry that the deal slipped through his fingers. He could only comfort himself that at least the marriage alliance with the York family kept their company stock rising. Losing that deal wasn’t the end of the world, but Jameson still felt embarrassed. He hated how it made him look.
Jameson thought that Shermaine just came back to bring them shame. However, he completely ignored the fact that part of the reason Shermaine had gone missing years ago was his fault.
Ruth had already known about it and got fed up. "How can you blame me for this? Have you seen her attitude? They apologized to her, yet she still wouldn’t let it go." She took a sip of her coffee and added, "I can’t control her. I don’t know whether to let her be or try to teach her. Since she came back, I haven’t had an easy moment."
‘Ross never should’ve brought her back. She had been gone for over a decade. Why did he bring her back?’ Jameson thought. He didn’t say anything else about Ruth’s involvement, but the thought lingered.
Just then, Amira’s call came in. Jameson glanced at the screen, feeling a bit surprised to receive her call. After a moment of hesitation, he picked up, not expecting she was about to accuse his daughter. Amira’s voice was loud and angry. "Mr. Jean, your daughter is really impressive. Not only did she send my kids to the hospital, but she crippled Ronnie’s friends. They’re all lying in the hospital now. You must come now and give us an explanation."
Jameson’s face turned dark with rage. "What?" The anger he’d been holding back flared up again. "Which hospital are you at?"
Ruth heard every word clearly, as did Wendelyn, who had just come in from outside. Wendelyn thought to herself, ‘Shermaine really knows how to surprise us. I didn’t expect her to clash with Ronnie again. She’s not just at odds with the Leeds family now. She’s offended a bunch of smaller families at Basterel. These smaller families might not be much on their own, but when they get together, they are a great force.’
Then, Wendelyn remembered Lily. She knew that Shermaine grew up right in Maple Leaf Ville.
Seeing that Jameson and Ruth were about to rush to the hospital, Wendelyn added, "Mom, Dad, I’m going with you. I’m worried about Sheary."
On the way to the hospital, Jameson called Shermaine, and she picked up instantly.
"Where are you?" Jameson’s voice was sharp.
"Hospital," she replied curtly.
Jameson was burning with fury. "Can’t you just stay out of trouble for one damn day? All you do is stir up chaos."
Unwavering Resolve
Neither Ruth nor Jameson had ever believed in Shermaine. They always believed whatever people said about her.
Shermaine replied in a cool tone, "What trouble did I cause? You think because they staged some act, I’m just going to let it slide? I’ll handle this myself. You don’t need to worry about it." After speaking, she hung up.
Jameson didn’t even seem to hear her. Instead, her attitude and words only made him angrier. He seethed inwardly. ‘If it weren’t for the paternity test proving you’re my daughter, and if you weren’t Joshua’s fiancée, I wouldn’t even give a damn about you.’
Hospital Confrontation
The rain drizzled down, and outside the hospital, luxury cars rolled up one by one. Amira led the charge, with several wealthy ladies trailing behind her, making quite a scene. Shermaine had a notorious reputation, so naturally, the ladies followed Amira to the hospital to seek justice for their sons. They hoped to get some compensation out of this too. That was their main goal tonight.
Inside the ward, Sheila slowly regained consciousness as the anesthesia wore off. Her two classmates were excited, and they eagerly asked, "Sheila, you’re finally awake. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"
But before Sheila could answer, Amira barged in. She glanced around but didn’t see Ronnie. She then asked, "Where’s Ronnie?"
"He’s still in the operating room," someone answered.
Amira’s face turned visibly worried when she heard that. Right after that, the other rich ladies began to rush to their sons’ sides. Those spoiled brats, who’d been causing trouble everywhere, instantly put on pathetic faces the moment their mothers arrived. They acted sweet and innocent, playing the victim.
Watching their expressions, Lily felt genuinely disgusted.
Sheila sat up in bed, grabbed the bedsheet, and weakly called out, "Mom."
Hearing that, Amira stormed up to Sheila and slapped her hard across the face. "Useless idiot! You’ve been training in fighting for over ten years, and you still couldn’t protect your brother? If anything happens to him, I swear I’ll make you pay."
The slap sent Sheila’s face to one side. Her hand trembled, and her spirit crushed, sinking deeper into despair. Everyone else was completely stunned. They’d all heard how much Ronnie was favored by his family. Sheila had never been the one to get attention. Now, they all believed that it was true.
While some ladies felt bad for Sheila, they didn’t dare say anything. After all, they knew better than to cross Amira. Nobody wanted to get involved in someone else’s family drama.
Lily thought, ‘Ronnie’s mother is ridiculous. How could she be so biased? Her son’s a gem, and her daughter is just trash. It’s outrageous.’
Sheila’s classmates spoke up, feeling angry on her behalf, "Mrs. Leeds, how can you be so cruel? If it weren’t for Sheila, Ronnie would’ve been a wreck, and you’re still blaming her?"
Amira scoffed, "She’s my daughter. I’ll handle her however I want. Who do you think you are to bark at me like that?"
The two girls were burning with rage, and they exchanged glances. They cursed to themselves, ‘What the hell? What kind of woman treats her own daughter like this? No wonder she raised such a useless son. Sheila’s really the one suffering.’
Sheila clenched her fists and talked back, "Mom, be nice. They’re my classmates."
Amira sneered, "So what? You are pathetic. Hanging out with these lowlifes. You think that won’t get out? Do you even care about our reputation?"
Sheila lowered her head, biting her lip so hard that it almost bled.
"Say something. Why’re you playing mute?" Amira poked Sheila’s forehead with her finger, showing no mercy.
Lily couldn’t help but feel for Sheila. She thought, ‘I used to find Sheila kind of irritating, but now, I just feel bad for her. Having a brother and a mother like that, no wonder she’s a mess.’
Just when the room was thick with tension, the door swung open. Shermaine walked in with her usual confident swagger. Immediately, the rich kids who’d been acting innocent in front of their mothers froze. Their faces paled, and their legs almost gave out.
Shermaine calmly sat down by Lily’s bedside and said with a smile, "Lily, I brought you some soup. Have a little while it’s still warm." Then, with a casual glance at Amira, she said, "Mrs. Leeds, this is the hospital, not your bedroom. You should show a little respect for the patients here."
The tension in the hospital room is palpable! It seems Shermaine has walked into a hostile environment. How do you think Amira will react to Shermaine's presence and her blunt words?